“Hey guys! It’s time for murder, mystery & makeup Monday!!”
Does that sound familiar to you? If so, you’re probably a Bailey Sarian fan just like me!
Sarian is a Youtuber that does Get Ready with Me videos while also discussing mysteries and true crime stories. She also has a podcast called Dark History which dives into the dark history of the U.S. I often listen to her podcast while getting ready for work or school. Her podcasts aren’t just fun to listen to but they’re also educational. I learn so many new things from her videos and podcasts. For instance, did you know that in 1788 medical students were stealing bodies from cemeteries in order to dissect and study them? There was a whole riot in New York City because people kept stealing bodies from graves.
Sarian is really light-hearted. But that doesn’t mean her content is. Sometimes when discussing some cases, especially that are unsolved, it can make me feel a little icky on the inside. I feel sad or even a little uncomfortable because there’s nothing I can do. How do I comfort these victims, some of, who aren’t even alive anymore? There’s no answer to that.
But why are true crime videos, stories and podcasts so addicting?
I feel like it’s because they’re real. These aren’t made-up fairy tales. These are real people committing crimes and sometimes they’re caught and sometimes they’re not. These aren’t just stories. True crime opens up another world. A world in which people are experiencing different things than I am. I’m able to learn about the lives of others without actually living it. And yes, that is a privilege of which I’m thankful for everyday.
True crime stories are immortal. People have been committing crimes since the beginning of time. One of Sarian’s videos takes viewers all the way back to Renaissance Italy and how one woman made her own poison called Aqua Tofana to help women kill their husbands.
True crime gives victims a voice. It tells all sides of the story, not just one. In this case, the winner doesn’t get to write the story in their favor. But it’s also eye-opening. There are so many things I don’t know about the world and the type of people that live in it. With true crime it’s like I’m teleporting all over the world in different time periods. I’m able to learn things I’ve never known before. Andrew Jackson wasn’t a good person after all but then again history is written by the winners isn’t it.
True crime makes me feel different emotions other than just happiness or sadness. I’m curious. It’s like listening or watching a psychological thriller. I’m a detective in my mind trying to piece together the clues to figure out who the suspect is.
In no way do I ever take my safety for granted. And consuming too many true crime stories can sometimes be overwhelming. Learning about the evil and disturbing things that people do isn’t for the weak hearted and shouldn’t be consumed everyday. I’m a strong believer that if I can be affected by what I eat and think then I can definitely be affected by what I watch or listen to.
But, at the end of the day on most mornings I’m usually casually eating breakfast while listening to Sarian chatter away about whoever she did her research on that week. Who doesn’t love a little bit of spice in the mornings?